John Elder Robison: 'Look Me In The Eye - My Life With Asperger’s'

Brother of Augusten ‘Running With Scissors’ Burroughs, John Elder Robison has written his own book. 'Look Me In The Eye' covers various ground, but is specifically concerned with his Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism which means that he lacks the instinctive ability to socialise in the same way as ‘normal’ people.

His talent in electronics, however, resulted in an intuitive knowledge of amps and stage effects. Forging a career, he was much in demand from musicians, most notably the band Kiss, and enabled them to stretch the limits of what was possible on stage in terms of sound and pyrotechnics. This phase of his life was spent surrounded by hellraisers whose antics he watched without ever joining in. But he never gave up trying to make friends and a life for himself, and now runs a successful car repair business.

Those who like the familiar 'suffering and redemption' motif in the memoir genre will find it here, but without ghoulish details or look-at-me self pity. The approach of the Extreme Nerd is often more genuine and caring than that of the superficially socially adept. A large part of the appeal of this book is the much-needed dispatch from the world of the musical technician – after all, it’s amplification that makes it rock n’ roll.

Published on 7th February 2008 by Ebury Press.

Written by Will Martin.